Turkey signs visa-free agreement with Qatar

'From now on, visas between Turkey and Qatar have been removed,' Turkish President Erdogan has said.

Turkey and Qatar have signed a visa-free travel agreement, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Wednesday.

"From now on, visas between Turkey and Qatar have been removed," Erdogan told reporters in the gulf state, adding that people from both countries will now be able to visit each other much more easily.

The Turkish president said that the visa-free agreement was a "last second" decision, for which he thanked the Qatari Emir, "my dear brother Sheikh Tamim [bin Hamad al-Thani]".

Erdogan and al-Thani also chaired the Turkey-Qatar High Strategic Committee’s first meeting in the Qatari capital of Doha during which 15 bilateral agreements were signed. Erdogan said that the visa-free agreement was the 16th agreement between the two countries.

Turkey and Qatar agreed to cooperate in several sectors, including education, environment, science and technology, maritime and energy.

Before the committee meeting, Erdogan noted that the Turkey-Qatar cultural year had been successfully carried out. "We will maintain good relations in the coming years.

"Also, Turkish and Qatari armies conducted their first joint military drill. Some of our soldiers, who will be deployed at a military base to be established in Qatar, have started their duties," he added.